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 116 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. key — for a lock
  7. scale — in music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bat — the animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — what's left
  14. key — in music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. key — the most important part

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