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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mark — a grade
  15. net — in sport
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chip — to eat
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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