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: bark · hide · shower · cue · arm · content · squash · bass

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. squash — the sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bass — low music
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cue — a hint
  14. squash — to crush
  15. content — the amount
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. content — happy
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cue — for pool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bass — the fish

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