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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lean — to bend
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rock — music
  8. scale — in music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — a path
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lean — thin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rock — a stone
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. scale — size or range
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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