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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mug — a face
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stock — shares
  5. swing — to play on
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. land — to come down
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spell — letters
  17. stock — goods
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. land — ground

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