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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. present — a gift
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mine — for digging
  9. snap — to click
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. club — a group
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. present — there
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wake — a trail
  20. present — the time now
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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