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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cap — a hat
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. foot — a measure
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fork — in a road
  9. hand — help
  10. tube — a container
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a lid
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. net — after costs
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. net — for catching

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