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: squash · hide · track · kid · swing · lean · rush · staff

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kid — to tease
  8. staff — employees
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lean — thin
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — to bend
  14. kid — child
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rush — hurry
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. swing — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. swing — in golf

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