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: chip · date · kid · hide · fan · pitch

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. chip — for betting
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fan — a supporter

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