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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spring — of water
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. race — a contest
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. spring — the season
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. race — humankind
  22. toast — bread
  23. patient — a sick person
  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