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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. kid — child
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. clip — for paper
  14. roll — a list
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. roll — a cake
  17. clip — to cut
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. foot — a measure
  20. kid — to tease
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. clip — a video

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