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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. craft — boats
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pop — music
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pop — soda
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pop — to visit
  13. foot — a measure
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tear — from crying
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ground — the earth
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ground — a position
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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