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: bat · nail · leaves · hand · bass · spell · hide · squash

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — help
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — in cards
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bat — the animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. spell — letters
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. nail — for a hammer

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