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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. roll — a cake
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — all right
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. squash — to crush
  12. row — a line
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fine — high quality
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. roll — a list
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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