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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. key — in music
  3. drill — army training
  4. land — to come down
  5. craft — boats
  6. file — a document
  7. drill — a practice
  8. file — a tool
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. file — a line of people
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. land — a country
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. key — for a lock
  18. land — ground
  19. band — a ring
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bound — obliged
  23. band — a music group
  24. bound — certain

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