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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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. rule — government
  3. field — for sport
  4. row — a line
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. roll — a cake
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. field — a subject
  13. rule — a law
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. field — farmland
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chair — a leader
  21. craft — boats
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chair — to sit on

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