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: race · hide · ground · cue · rush · wake · perch · coach

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — a position
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cue — for pool
  17. race — humankind
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. race — a contest
  23. wake — a trail
  24. race — the arms race

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