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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pop — to visit
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pop — music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tube — the underground
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pop — soda
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. row — a line
  20. wax — to grow
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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