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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. roll — a cake
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. club — for golf
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. roll — a list
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. club — a group
  24. wake — a trail

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