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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pop — music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. last — to go on
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pop — to visit
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mine — for digging
  19. last — final
  20. pop — soda
  21. last — finally
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. kid — child

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