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: fall · chair · mark · pound · stick · ground · lean · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ground — a position
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lean — thin
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. pound — for dogs

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