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 116 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 · coach · wake · wave · deal · staff · patient · squash

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. squash — the sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — a trail
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. staff — employees
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. squash — to crush
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. coach — a trainer

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