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: stand · calf · scale · hide · bank · spring · mine · lean

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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 — to keep secret
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. spring — the season
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — of water
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lean — to bend
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bank — for money
  20. lean — thin
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. scale — in music
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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