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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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. cold — the Cold War
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. hand — help
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cold — not warm
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hand — in cards
  11. plane — a tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. swing — music
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bear — the animal
  24. swing — in golf

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