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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. land — a country
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. firm — steady
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. court — of law
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. land — ground
  16. kick — in football
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. land — to come down
  23. kick — with a leg
  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