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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bass — low music
  8. track — to keep track
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. track — a path
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. date — the fruit
  15. track — a song
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. perch — the fish
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bass — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  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