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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. roll — a cake
  3. last — final
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. present — there
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chip — for betting
  11. squash — the sport
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. last — to go on
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. roll — a list
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. squash — to crush
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. trunk — of a tree

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