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: present · land · bay · pound · rash · wind · mouse · jam

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wind — moving air
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. land — to come down
  12. rash — a series
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. present — a gift
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. present — there
  22. land — ground
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. land — a country

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