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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. object — to protest
  3. capital — money
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. net — for catching
  6. object — a thing
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rest — a break
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mark — a grade
  14. capital — a city
  15. mark — a trace
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. net — in sport
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — after costs
  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