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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ground — a position
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. march — the month
  6. ground — crushed
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. band — a music group
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. ground — the earth
  18. march — music
  19. land — a country
  20. band — a ring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. saw — the tool

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