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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — help
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. scale — size or range
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mark — a grade
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. march — music
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wind — moving air
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. scale — in music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mark — a trace
  23. march — the month
  24. hand — in cards

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