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: kid · hide · content · mug · craft · row · face · degree

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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 chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. face — to point toward
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. degree — temperature
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. face — part of the head
  12. content — the amount
  13. craft — boats
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. degree — from a university
  18. face — to confront
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mug — a cup
  21. content — happy
  22. mug — a face
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. degree — an amount

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