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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. face — to confront
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bound — tied together
  10. face — part of the head
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bound — certain
  14. clip — a video
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lean — thin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lean — to bend

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