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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. present — the time now
  5. fork — in a road
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mine — for digging
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. present — a gift
  19. pound — a weight
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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