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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. band — a music group
  4. mug — a cup
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. roll — a cake
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mug — a face
  10. clip — for paper
  11. band — a ring
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. foot — a measure
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mug — to rob
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. roll — a list
  23. clip — a video
  24. straw — dry grass

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