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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. spell — magic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. spell — letters
  16. march — the month
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lean — thin
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lash — an eyelash

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