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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spell — a short time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — letters
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — the amount
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. foot — a measure
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. spell — magic
  18. content — happy
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wind — moving air

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