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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bass — low music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. content — the amount
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. content — happy
  21. land — a country
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rest — a break
  24. bass — the instrument

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