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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. object — a thing
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. land — to come down
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. march — the month
  8. present — the time now
  9. march — music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. object — to protest
  12. present — a gift
  13. object — an aim
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. present — there
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. march — the month
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. land — a country

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