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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pit — a hole
  7. craft — boats
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pit — in a race

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