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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. last — finally
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. degree — an amount
  12. chest — a box
  13. degree — temperature
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. degree — from a university
  16. chest — of your body
  17. last — final
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitch — completely
  20. chip — for betting
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chest — of your body
  24. trunk — of a car

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