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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rash — hasty
  5. board — a committee
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bass — the fish
  12. board — to get on
  13. rash — a series
  14. mine — for digging
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cell — in biology
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. deal — an agreement

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