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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. land — ground
  4. content — the amount
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. content — happy
  8. land — to come down
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. season — of the year
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — a country
  22. spring — the season
  23. tube — a container
  24. spring — of water

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