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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. spring — a coil
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. swing — music
  8. spring — of water
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rest — a break
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rest — what's left
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. swing — to play on
  15. roll — a list
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spring — the season
  18. chair — a leader
  19. swing — in golf
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. foot — a measure

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