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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cap — of ice
  9. staff — employees
  10. ground — crushed
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cap — a hat
  15. hand — in cards
  16. staff — employees
  17. hand — help
  18. cap — a lid
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ground — a position
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. scale — in music

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