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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. season — in sport
  5. chip — to eat
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — rain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bank — for money
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. row — to paddle
  13. chip — for betting
  14. season — of the year
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bank — for money
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. row — a line
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. shower — to wash

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