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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cap — a lid
  6. roll — a list
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. roll — a cake
  11. fall — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lie — to recline

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