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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — the season
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. spring — the season
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. rest — a break
  20. fall — to drop
  21. spring — a coil
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bat — in an idiom

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