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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mark — a trace
  4. object — a thing
  5. net — for catching
  6. capital — a city
  7. net — in sport
  8. object — to protest
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. charge — electricity
  13. object — an aim
  14. ground — crushed
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. net — after costs
  17. ground — the earth
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. game — a match
  21. charge — a price
  22. ground — a position
  23. mark — a grade
  24. charge — in control

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