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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fork — in a road
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bore — to tire
  11. race — a contest
  12. bore — to drill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ball — a dance
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. tube — a container

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