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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ground — crushed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. court — for sport
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. object — an aim
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. object — to protest
  12. key — in music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. object — a thing
  19. key — for a lock
  20. court — of a king
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. court — of law
  23. key — the most important part
  24. patient — a sick person

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