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: kid · spring · hide · leaves · cell · last · club · mug

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cell — in biology
  3. club — a group
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. last — finally
  7. kid — to tease
  8. spring — of water
  9. last — to go on
  10. mug — a face
  11. last — final
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kid — child
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cell — a phone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mug — to rob

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