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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. last — to go on
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. land — to come down
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. ball — a dance
  15. land — a country
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. last — finally
  19. ball — a great time
  20. land — ground
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. last — final
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. march — music

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