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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. present — the time now
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. present — there
  7. bound — certain
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spring — the season
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wind — moving air
  13. squash — to crush
  14. spring — a coil
  15. land — ground
  16. bound — obliged
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. present — a gift
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. spring — of water

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