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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wind — moving air
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ground — a position
  24. wind — moving air

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