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 · kick · trunk · spring · scale · bowl · jam · row

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spring — the season
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. scale — in music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. row — a line
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. row — to paddle
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. spring — of water
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spring — a coil
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hide — animal skin

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