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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — of a word
  6. spring — of water
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. root — the cause
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. spring — the season
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — crushed
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. band — a music group
  22. spring — a coil
  23. root — of a plant
  24. band — a ring

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