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: cabinet · net · coach · hide · kid · mouse · row · wave

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. kid — to tease
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kid — child
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. row — a line
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. net — for catching
  24. wave — 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