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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. march — music
  3. shower — rain
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. kick — in football
  6. cue — a hint
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cue — a signal
  10. march — the month
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cue — for pool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. shower — to wash
  23. march — the month
  24. kick — with a leg

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