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: bass · cabinet · lash · saw · present · bank · hide · kid

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — child
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bank — for money
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bass — low music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. present — there
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bank — for money
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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