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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ball — a dance
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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