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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. ball — a dance
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. scale — size or range
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a great time
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. season — in sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. scale — in music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. game — a match

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