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 is an ace ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. key — in music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mug — a face
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. key — for a lock
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. drill — army training
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wound — an injury
  17. drill — the tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mug — to rob
  24. trunk — of a tree

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