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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mark — a grade
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. land — to come down
  8. mark — a trace
  9. land — ground
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. season — of the year
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. current — electric
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. season — in sport
  18. land — a country
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. current — happening now
  21. tube — the underground
  22. current — of water
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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