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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rock — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. net — after costs
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. sharp — clever
  11. net — in sport
  12. kid — child
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. object — a thing
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — to protest
  22. net — for catching
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. object — an aim

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