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: rock · field · bay · date · wind · land · lean · chip

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. land — to come down
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. field — farmland
  21. lean — thin
  22. chip — to eat
  23. date — the fruit
  24. lean — to bend

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