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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — a law
  4. wake — a trail
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. snap — to click
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wind — moving air
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bowl — a football final

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