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: hide · cue · coach · mouse · field · racket · bass · squash

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — a signal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bass — low music
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. field — a subject
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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