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

Word bank: hide · fall · hand · mouse · cell · calf · pit · bark

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cell — in biology
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fall — the season
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cell — a phone
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. hand — help

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