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: hide · scale · track · snap · craft · wound · staff · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wound — an injury
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. craft — boats
  10. staff — employees
  11. scale — size or range
  12. track — a path
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. staff — employees
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bat — the animal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. craft — a skill
  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