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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. swing — music
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chest — a box
  19. present — there
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chest — of your body
  22. swing — in golf
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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