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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rest — a break
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — in music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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