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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. band — a music group
  8. last — finally
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mine — for digging
  14. last — to go on
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. last — final
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. band — a ring

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