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: can · mug · scale · bat · present · hide · spring · trunk

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. mug — a face
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. present — the time now
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. scale — in music
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. can — a tin
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — to rob
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — of water
  24. scale — size or range

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