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: bass · stand · bay · kid · craft · ruler · hide · mug

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bass — low music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mug — a face
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stand — to bear
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mug — a cup
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. craft — boats
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kid — child
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bass — the fish
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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