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: season · arm · lie · bay · chip · object · last · land

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. last — final
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chip — for betting
  9. last — finally
  10. land — to come down
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. last — to go on
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. object — to protest
  17. land — a country
  18. season — of the year
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. object — an aim
  23. land — ground
  24. season — in sport

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