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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. degree — temperature
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. degree — an amount
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. game — a match
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wax — to grow
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bat — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ball — a dance
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ball — a round shape

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