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: bay · deal · can · capital · lash · hide · club · drill

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. can — a tin
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. club — a group
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. capital — a city
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. drill — the tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — money
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. drill — army training
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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