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: degree · pop · coach · chair · mouse · bass · hide · field

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. pop — music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. field — for sport
  8. degree — temperature
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. degree — an amount
  16. field — a subject
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bass — low music
  21. field — farmland
  22. degree — from a university
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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