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: content · hide · ground · leaves · pound · wave · kid · squash

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ground — a position
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ground — the earth
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. squash — the sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — the amount
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. ground — crushed
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. content — happy
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pound — a weight
  24. squash — to crush

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