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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. current — electric
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rash — a series
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. tear — from crying
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. row — a line
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — hasty
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mark — a grade
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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