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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. hand — help
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mark — a trace
  9. land — ground
  10. kick — in football
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. land — to come down
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pass — a permit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. land — a country

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