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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bank — of a river
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bank — for money
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. dip — to sink
  12. game — a match
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bank — for money
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bat — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. scale — in music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bat — for baseball

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