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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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. prune — the fruit
  3. pound — a weight
  4. file — a tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lie — to recline
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wound — an injury
  11. staff — employees
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. file — a document
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. scale — in music
  24. file — a line of people

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