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: cold · bay · cap · sharp · spell · lash · game · club

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. club — for dancing
  13. game — a match
  14. cap — of ice
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. spell — magic
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. club — for golf
  19. cap — a lid
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. club — a group

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