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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. row — a line
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bank — for money
  8. spring — the season
  9. pass — a permit
  10. scale — in music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bark — to shout
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. hide — to keep secret

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