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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spell — a short time
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. tear — to rip
  7. kick — in football
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spell — magic
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ball — a great time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cell — in biology
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. spell — letters
  21. perch — the fish
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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