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: bat · chair · wave · march · land · prune · bay · chip

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. march — the month
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. chip — for betting
  22. land — ground
  23. march — music
  24. chip — in a computer

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