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: pit · fine · saw · club · bowl · rash · perch · bay

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. club — a group
  4. pit — in a race
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. club — for dancing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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