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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. hand — help
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ground — a position
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. degree — an amount
  19. hand — in cards
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stand — to bear
  23. degree — from a university
  24. racket — a loud noise

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