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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. net — for catching
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rest — what's left
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. net — after costs
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rest — a break
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. shower — to wash
  14. net — in sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. shower — rain
  17. pop — soda
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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