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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hand — help
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. root — of a word
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. root — of a plant
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rock — music
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hand — in cards
  24. root — the cause

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