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: stand · bass · field · mine · wave · can · chest · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. can — a tin
  3. chest — a box
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. can — a tin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stand — to bear
  24. field — a subject

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