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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · band · present · bear · pitch · fan · drill · deal

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitch — completely
  6. present — there
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. band — a ring
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. band — a music group
  17. present — a gift
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  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