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 120 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: mine · scale · row · mug · bay · rest · game · stand

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mug — a cup
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rest — a break
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. row — a line
  12. game — wild animals
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. scale — in music
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stand — to bear
  20. game — a match
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mug — a face
  24. scale — size or range

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