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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. last — final
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cap — a hat
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cap — of ice
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fine — all right
  18. band — a ring
  19. cap — a lid
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. band — a music group

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