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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. root — of a word
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. root — the cause
  7. kid — child
  8. season — in sport
  9. pitch — completely
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. hand — help
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hand — in cards
  23. season — of the year
  24. root — of a plant

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