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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a great time
  7. object — an aim
  8. fine — all right
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rash — a series
  13. wind — moving air
  14. object — to protest
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fine — high quality
  20. capital — money
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rash — hasty
  23. object — a thing
  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