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: bat · leaves · mine · calf · hide · root · ball · bowl

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. root — of a word
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. root — the cause

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