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: jam · hide · perch · row · kid · coach · pitch · fan

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kid — to tease
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. row — a line
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. row — to paddle
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. kid — child
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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