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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. field — a subject
  4. press — to push
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. march — the month
  8. field — farmland
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. land — a country
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. land — to come down
  14. press — a publisher
  15. field — for sport
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. march — the month
  19. kid — to tease
  20. march — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kid — child
  23. land — ground
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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