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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tube — a container
  3. present — a gift
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. row — a line
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. present — there
  11. lean — to bend
  12. degree — from a university
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. key — for a lock
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. row — to paddle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. key — in music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lean — thin

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