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 · fork · cold · rest · spell · hide · cue · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pop — music
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. spell — letters
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — a signal
  14. spell — magic
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cold — an illness
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hide — to keep secret

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