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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. squash — to crush
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. object — a thing
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. roll — a cake
  9. object — to protest
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mate — a partner
  12. ground — a position
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. object — an aim
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. roll — a list
  22. wind — moving air
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. squash — the sport

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