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 · dip · field · foot · press · tube · hide · arm

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. foot — a measure
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pitch — completely
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. press — a publisher
  15. tube — a container
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. field — for sport
  24. arm — part of the body

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