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

Word bank: mug · hide · saw · squash · tube · pitch · mine · bark

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. tube — a container
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mug — a face
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pitch — completely
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. saw — the tool
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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