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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fall — the season
  11. mug — to rob
  12. net — in sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. net — for catching
  18. fall — to drop
  19. perch — the fish
  20. race — humankind
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. net — after costs
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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