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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. club — for dancing
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lean — thin
  8. net — in sport
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bound — tied together
  11. club — for golf
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lean — to bend
  14. net — after costs
  15. rule — government
  16. bound — certain
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — a law
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bound — obliged
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. club — a group

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