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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. staff — employees
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. kid — to tease
  12. shower — rain
  13. staff — a stick
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. season — of the year
  17. snap — to click
  18. season — in sport
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. kid — child
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. staff — employees
  24. bay — a horse colour

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