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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. firm — a company
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. firm — steady
  9. land — ground
  10. wax — to grow
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. staff — employees
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hand — help
  18. firm — decided
  19. land — a country
  20. staff — employees
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. land — to come down
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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