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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. shower — rain
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. object — an aim
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mine — for digging
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bank — of a river
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — a thing
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. bank — for money
  19. object — to protest
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — belonging to me

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