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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — in music
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. scale — size or range
  8. season — of the year
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mate — to breed
  15. track — to keep track
  16. kid — child
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. track — a path
  19. mate — a friend
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — a song
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mate — a partner
  24. season — in sport

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