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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chest — a box
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. ball — a dance
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. ball — a great time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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