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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. capital — money
  3. present — the time now
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wound — an injury
  18. present — there
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. capital — a city
  23. fork — in a road
  24. squash — the sport

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