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 · pit · present · spring · kid · leaves · straw · mark

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pit — in a race
  5. present — the time now
  6. kid — child
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. kid — to tease
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. present — there
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mark — a grade
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. present — a gift
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. leaves — lets stay

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