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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. roll — a cake
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mate — a friend
  6. kid — child
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. swing — music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. kid — to tease
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mate — to breed
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bay — a horse colour

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