ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rule — a law
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rule — government
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com