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: hide · kid · cabinet · can · season · fork · ground · fan

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — in sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. season — of the year
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fork — to eat with

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