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 120 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mark — a trace
  5. land — ground
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. suit — to fit
  8. land — a country
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. land — to come down
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cell — a phone
  13. suit — in cards
  14. present — the time now
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. present — there
  17. cell — in biology
  18. chest — of your body
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. present — a gift
  24. chest — a box

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