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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. capital — money
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chest — a box
  20. track — a song
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. capital — a city

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