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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. track — a path
  3. ground — crushed
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — the earth
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. club — a group
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. club — for golf
  18. track — a song
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. club — for dancing

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