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 120 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. The water is too ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cold — not warm
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. swing — to play on
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. spring — the season
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. swing — music
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. spring — of water
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to click
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. kick — in football
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mark — a trace
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mark — a grade

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