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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tear — from crying
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bound — certain
  6. vault — a safe
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bound — obliged
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tear — from crying
  15. game — a match
  16. capital — money
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. tear — to rip
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. capital — a city
  21. bound — tied together
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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