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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bear — the animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. capital — money
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — a phone
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pound — a weight
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. capital — a city
  21. spell — letters
  22. staff — employees
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. spell — magic

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