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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rash — a series
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rash — hasty
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. field — farmland
  13. mark — a trace
  14. field — for sport
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mug — a face
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. field — a subject
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mug — a cup

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