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 · wound · pound · drill · stem · bay · spell · bowl

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. spell — letters
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stem — to come from
  23. drill — army training
  24. spell — magic

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