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: coach · row · squash · content · hide · court · season · board

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. court — of law
  4. squash — the sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. content — happy
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. row — a line
  10. content — the amount
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. season — in sport
  14. board — to get on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. court — for sport
  18. board — a committee
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. row — to paddle
  22. court — of a king
  23. squash — to crush
  24. row — a quarrel

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