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 · row · ball · spell · bank · dip · cold · bulb

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bank — for money
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cold — an illness
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cold — not warm
  7. row — a line
  8. spell — letters
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — to sink
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. row — to paddle
  24. dip — to dunk

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