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 · bulb · roll · pop · rule · bat · sharp · stick

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rule — government
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pop — music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pop — soda
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. roll — a list
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rule — a law

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