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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. toast — bread
  3. row — a line
  4. last — final
  5. bat — the animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bear — the animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wax — to grow
  23. last — finally
  24. bat — in an idiom

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