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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stand — to bear
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. kick — in football
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. swing — music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. season — of the year
  23. wound — an injury
  24. racket — for tennis

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