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 116 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: cabinet · lash · saw · fall · hide · wake · cap · content

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. content — the amount
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fall — the season
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a hat
  18. content — happy
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cap — a lid
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wake — a trail

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