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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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. bay — a horse colour
  3. rash — a series
  4. court — of a king
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. hand — in cards
  11. court — of law
  12. saw — the tool
  13. capital — money
  14. hand — help
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. court — for sport
  23. capital — a city
  24. hide — animal skin

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