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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bound — certain
  3. club — for golf
  4. bound — tied together
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. club — a group
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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