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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tear — to rip
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hand — help
  7. band — a ring
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. foot — a measure
  11. band — a music group
  12. hand — in cards
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. tear — from crying

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