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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. club — for dancing
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rock — a stone
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. club — a group
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. squash — to crush
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rock — music
  19. club — for golf
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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