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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. key — the most important part
  6. last — finally
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stem — to come from
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. spell — a short time
  13. last — final
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spell — letters
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spell — magic
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. key — in music
  22. last — to go on
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. key — for a lock

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