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: ground · object · rash · bass · bay · rest · prune · mine

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. object — a thing
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bass — low music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. object — to protest
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ground — a position
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bass — the fish
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rash — a series
  23. object — an aim
  24. rest — what's left

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