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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. field — for sport
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. land — to come down
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. game — a match
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — a tin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — a face
  14. game — wild animals
  15. field — farmland
  16. can — to be able to
  17. field — a subject
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. land — a country
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mug — to rob
  23. land — ground
  24. can — a tin

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