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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. row — a line
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. content — happy
  9. bark — to shout
  10. track — a song
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ground — crushed
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ground — a position
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ground — the earth
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. track — a path
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. content — the amount
  24. bowl — a football final

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