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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. file — a line of people
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. land — a country
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a document
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. file — a tool
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. land — to come down
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. land — ground
  23. mark — a trace
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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