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: snap · drill · rash · charge · season · hide · cap · kid

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cap — a hat
  6. drill — army training
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. charge — in control
  9. season — in sport
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to click
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — the tool
  15. kid — to tease
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kid — child
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cap — of ice
  20. drill — a practice
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. cap — a lid

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