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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. track — a song
  6. rest — a break
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. game — a match
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rest — what's left
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. game — wild animals
  24. track — a path

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