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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. spell — magic
  9. bat — the animal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. chest — a box
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bat — for baseball

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