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: land · bay · field · safe · craft · rule · ball · shower

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. land — a country
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. land — to come down
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. field — farmland
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. craft — boats
  10. rule — a law
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ball — a great time
  13. field — for sport
  14. shower — to wash
  15. land — ground
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. field — a subject
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. shower — rain
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ball — a dance

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