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

Word bank: pitch · straw · bowl · craft · stick · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. craft — boats
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pitch — completely
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass

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