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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ground — crushed
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cap — of ice
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. dip — to sink
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mine — for digging
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. rush — a thrill

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