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 116 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: field · charge · suit · lie · tube · row · squash · hide

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lie — to recline
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. charge — a price
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. charge — electricity
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. field — a subject
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. charge — in control
  16. field — for sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. field — farmland
  23. tube — a container
  24. hide — animal skin

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