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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — to visit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bank — of a river
  7. field — farmland
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bank — for money
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pop — music
  16. ground — a position
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pop — soda
  19. field — for sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. field — a subject
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. nail — on a finger

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