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: coach · hide · kick · rash · pop · game · straw · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. track — a song
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. track — a path
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pop — music
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. track — to keep track
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. pop — soda
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rash — a series
  22. pop — to visit
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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