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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. spring — of water
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. last — final
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. last — to go on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rash — a series
  19. spring — the season
  20. last — finally
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pop — soda

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