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 116 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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pit — in a race
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. track — a song
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. tube — a container
  11. object — an aim
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. tube — the underground
  16. object — to protest
  17. track — a path
  18. object — a thing
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — to keep track
  23. perch — the fish
  24. key — in music

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