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 120 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: foot · face · squash · lean · cue · swing · hide · perch

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — thin
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cue — a hint
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cue — for pool
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. face — part of the head
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. swing — to play on
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. face — to confront
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. squash — the sport
  22. face — to point toward
  23. foot — a measure
  24. lean — to bend

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