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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. key — in music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. track — a path
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lie — to recline
  13. file — a document
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. key — for a lock
  21. track — a song
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. file — a tool

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