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: spring · field · jam · hide · face · content · shower · can

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spring — of water
  6. field — a subject
  7. shower — rain
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. shower — to wash
  13. face — to point toward
  14. spring — a coil
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. content — the amount
  17. face — to confront
  18. content — happy
  19. spring — the season
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. field — for sport
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. field — farmland
  24. hide — to keep secret

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