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: wind · mouse · bear · shower · hide · chest · saw · lean

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lean — thin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lean — to bend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. chest — a box
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — the tool

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