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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. ground — the earth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — ground
  7. bound — certain
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. land — to come down
  10. ground — a position
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bound — obliged
  16. land — a country
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bat — the animal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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