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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. ground — a position
  3. rest — what's left
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rest — a break
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. last — to go on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. last — finally
  12. object — a thing
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. last — final
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. object — an aim
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. object — to protest
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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