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 124 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. object — a thing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. charge — a price
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — to protest
  9. charge — in control
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. last — to go on
  12. object — an aim
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. charge — electricity
  18. last — finally

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