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: bark · snap · pitch · stand · cell · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bark — to shout
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. snap — to click
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitch — a sports field

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