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: plane · kid · tube · field · kick · chest · squash · hide

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. field — for sport
  8. kick — in football
  9. chest — of your body
  10. kid — to tease
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. kid — child
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chest — a box
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. tube — a container
  22. squash — to crush
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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