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: bore · cell · fan · chair · row · can · hide · wave

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. chair — a leader
  20. row — a line
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bore — to tire
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cell — a phone

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