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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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. bay — a horse colour
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bank — for money
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. march — the month
  14. wind — moving air
  15. march — music
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — of a river
  23. march — the month
  24. wind — to turn a key

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