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: cabinet · field · squash · hide · present · pitch · mug · row

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. row — to paddle
  3. field — farmland
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. present — there
  14. pitch — completely
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — a face
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — the time now
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. row — a line
  24. squash — to crush

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