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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mug — to rob
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. last — to go on
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. clip — a video
  12. last — finally
  13. object — to protest
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. object — an aim
  18. last — final
  19. object — a thing
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — a tool
  24. prune — to trim

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