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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. spring — of water
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. ball — a dance
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spring — a coil
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. spring — the season
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. ball — a great time
  24. suit — in cards

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