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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. squash — the sport
  4. kid — child
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. march — the month
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. present — the time now
  9. fall — the season
  10. march — music
  11. season — in sport
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fall — to drop
  14. present — there
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. march — the month
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. kid — to tease
  20. content — the amount
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — of the year
  23. squash — to crush
  24. hide — to keep secret

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