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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. staff — a stick
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. track — a path
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. staff — employees
  20. track — a song
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. staff — employees

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