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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. row — a line
  3. firm — a company
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bear — the animal
  6. file — a document
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. firm — decided
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spring — of water
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. firm — steady
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. toast — bread

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