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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rest — a break
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rest — what's left
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chest — a box
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. present — a gift
  15. chest — of your body
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chest — of your body
  21. present — the time now
  22. craft — boats
  23. land — to come down
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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