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: tear · coach · snap · hide · tube · can · bowl · bay

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. tear — from crying
  5. can — a tin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tube — a container
  9. snap — to click
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — to be able to
  16. tube — the underground
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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