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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rest — a break
  3. craft — a skill
  4. shower — rain
  5. pop — soda
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pop — music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. sharp — clever
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. craft — boats
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. shower — to wash
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rest — what's left
  22. row — a line
  23. pop — to visit
  24. squash — the sport

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