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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. current — of water
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. lie — to recline
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — for catching
  16. wound — an injury
  17. field — for sport
  18. spell — letters
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. field — farmland
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. field — a subject

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