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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mine — for digging
  3. land — to come down
  4. staff — employees
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fork — in a road
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. land — ground
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. land — a country
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. staff — employees
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bay — a horse colour

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