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

Word bank: bay · chip · mine · pop · date · court · craft · rock

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. chip — to eat
  5. court — for sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — music
  8. craft — boats
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. court — of a king
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pop — to visit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. court — of law
  18. pop — music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pop — soda
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mine — for digging
  24. date — the fruit

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