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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. band — a ring
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. season — in sport
  8. spring — of water
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — in music
  16. band — a music group
  17. bank — for money
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bank — for money
  20. bear — the animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — of the year
  24. bank — of a river

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