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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. last — to go on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. march — the month
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. march — the month
  13. deal — to handle
  14. last — finally
  15. march — music
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. last — final
  24. dip — to dunk

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