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: capital · pound · coach · rash · press · mug · hide · kid

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rash — hasty
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. capital — a city
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. press — a publisher
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mug — a face
  13. rash — a series
  14. capital — money
  15. mug — a cup
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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