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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. content — happy
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. content — the amount
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. press — to push
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cell — a phone
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. swing — in golf

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