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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fine — all right
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cue — a hint
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ground — a position
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pit — in a race
  17. squash — the sport
  18. swing — music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. swing — to play on
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mine — an explosive

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