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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fall — the season
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — an aim
  6. field — for sport
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. object — a thing
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. fall — to drop
  13. spell — a short time
  14. object — to protest
  15. field — farmland
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. field — a subject
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. tube — a container
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tube — the underground
  24. arm — part of the body

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