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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. file — a tool
  3. chest — a box
  4. ground — crushed
  5. court — of a king
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ground — the earth
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pitch — completely
  11. court — of law
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. kid — child
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. file — a document
  19. ground — a position
  20. court — for sport
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bowl — a dish

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