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: rock · bay · mouse · hide · kid · spring · cold · object

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. object — to protest
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. spring — the season
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kid — to tease
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cold — an illness
  13. object — an aim
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. object — a thing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — music
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cold — not warm
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kid — child
  24. mouse — for a computer

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