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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. last — finally
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. bank — for money
  7. row — a line
  8. last — to go on
  9. ground — a position
  10. last — final
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bank — of a river
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bank — for money
  23. ball — a great time
  24. row — a quarrel

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