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: rest · wind · temple · pitch · pass · hide

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rest — a break
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pass — to succeed

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