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 · saw · pitcher · rock · bat · chair · wind · wake

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wake — a trail

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