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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pop — soda
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. object — an aim
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pop — music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. race — a contest
  13. present — the time now
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. present — a gift
  18. object — to protest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. race — humankind
  22. pop — to visit
  23. object — a thing
  24. pit — in a race

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