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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. spring — a coil
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. scale — size or range
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. spring — the season
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. sharp — clever
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. spring — of water
  20. net — in sport
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. scale — in music
  24. stand — for spectators

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