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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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. spell — letters
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. chip — to eat
  8. last — final
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. last — finally
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chip — for betting
  15. last — to go on
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spell — a short time
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. spell — magic

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