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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bat — the animal
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. land — a country
  12. rule — a law
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. land — ground
  19. rule — government
  20. cold — an illness
  21. stem — to come from
  22. land — to come down
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stem — of a plant

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