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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. last — finally
  5. mark — a grade
  6. season — in sport
  7. last — final
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spring — the season
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mark — a trace
  15. spring — of water
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. season — of the year
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. last — to go on

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