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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. chip — to eat
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. court — for sport
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. court — of law
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. court — of a king
  24. leaves — lets stay

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