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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chip — for betting
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. shower — rain
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — of law
  10. shower — to wash
  11. chip — to eat
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rest — a break
  16. lean — thin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. court — for sport
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. court — of a king

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