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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. vault — a safe
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. squash — to crush
  6. plane — a tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. snap — to click
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. land — to come down
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. plane — in geometry

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