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

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kick — in football
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. field — for sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. field — farmland
  7. wind — moving air
  8. field — a subject
  9. cap — a lid
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wind — moving air
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pass — a permit
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cap — a hat
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pass — to spend time

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