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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. land — a country
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. land — to come down
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — the time now
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. tube — the underground
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pound — a weight
  12. present — there
  13. land — ground
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. present — a gift
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. row — a line

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