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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. spell — a short time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pass — a permit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spell — letters
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. present — the time now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. present — there
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spell — magic
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. present — a gift
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bowl — to roll

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