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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. object — to protest
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — the season
  8. wake — a trail
  9. object — a thing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. spell — letters
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. spell — a short time
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spring — of water
  22. object — an aim
  23. spell — magic
  24. racket — a loud noise

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