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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. track — to keep track
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bound — tied together
  7. hand — in cards
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hand — help
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bank — for money
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bank — of a river
  16. track — a path
  17. rash — a series
  18. degree — an amount
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a song
  21. degree — temperature
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bound — certain
  24. bank — for money

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