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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mine — for digging
  3. hand — help
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bank — for money
  10. spell — letters
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spell — magic
  14. bore — to tire
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. season — of the year
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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