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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. row — a line
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. row — to paddle

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