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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. tube — a container
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tube — the underground
  5. land — to come down
  6. bank — of a river
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fall — to drop
  10. face — part of the head
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. land — ground
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — the season
  19. fall — the season
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. land — a country
  22. face — to confront
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bank — for money

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