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

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. kid — to tease
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. kid — child
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — shares
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stock — goods
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stem — to come from
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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