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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lie — to recline
  6. march — the month
  7. rash — a series
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. march — the month
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. face — part of the head
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitch — completely
  14. kick — in football
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. march — music
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mouse — for a computer

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