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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. court — for sport
  3. present — a gift
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. craft — boats
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. present — the time now
  10. firm — decided
  11. court — of law
  12. tube — a container
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. firm — a company
  17. tube — the underground
  18. present — there
  19. court — of a king
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mouse — for a computer

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