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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cap — of ice
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. chest — a box
  9. lean — thin
  10. last — final
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cap — a lid
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lean — to bend
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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