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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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. bore — gave birth
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. club — for golf
  7. cold — not warm
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. club — a group
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. fine — all right
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. club — for dancing
  14. hand — help
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bore — to drill
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bat — the animal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bat — for baseball

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