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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pop — music
  5. march — the month
  6. spell — magic
  7. march — the month
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. wake — a trail
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. march — music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pop — soda
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. land — to come down
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. pop — to visit

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