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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. spell — a short time
  9. present — the time now
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — magic
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. present — there
  16. spell — letters
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. coach — a trainer

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