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 · fan · pound · rash · mug · net · fall · squash

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. net — after costs
  6. mug — to rob
  7. squash — to crush
  8. net — for catching
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fall — the season
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mug — a cup
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rash — a series
  19. net — in sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mug — a face
  23. rash — hasty
  24. squash — the vegetable

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