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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rock — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — a stone
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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