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: trunk · race · object · current · hide · spring · bowl · cabinet

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. current — electric
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. spring — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. current — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. object — to protest
  15. race — humankind
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. object — a thing
  18. race — a contest
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. object — an aim
  24. spring — the season

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