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: hide · rash · staff · mouse · season · face · stand · net

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. staff — a stick
  3. net — in sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stand — to bear
  7. net — for catching
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. staff — employees
  12. net — after costs
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — of the year
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. season — in sport
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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