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 124 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pop — soda
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pop — music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pop — to visit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. snap — to click
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. ball — a great time
  22. clip — a video
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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