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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. land — ground
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. land — a country
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. snap — to click
  11. march — the month
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pop — soda
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. land — to come down

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