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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hand — in cards
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spell — magic
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — a safe
  10. spell — letters
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. saw — the tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. object — an aim
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hand — help

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