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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · ground · bowl · branch · hand · toast · rest · hide

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — a break
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. branch — a division
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. toast — bread
  15. ground — the earth
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ground — a position
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — help
  24. toast — the most admired

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