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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spring — the season
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. spring — of water
  10. chest — a box
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chest — of your body
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. chest — of your body
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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