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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. drill — army training
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — magic
  7. drill — a practice
  8. kid — to tease
  9. spring — of water
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. can — a tin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — the tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. kid — child
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. shower — rain
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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