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: squash · cap · wave · tube · hide · mark · coach · field

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cap — a hat
  3. field — farmland
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. field — for sport
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cap — of ice
  12. squash — the sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cap — a lid
  18. field — a subject
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tube — a container
  24. mark — a grade

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