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: march · mark · sharp · ground · bay · lean · snap · game

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. march — the month
  4. snap — to click
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ground — a position
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lean — thin
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. ground — the earth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lean — to bend
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. march — the month
  19. mark — a trace
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. march — music
  24. mark — to pay attention

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