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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bat — the animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. shower — rain
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bound — tied together
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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