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: stick · cold · cabinet · mark · ground · pitch · arm · pit

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ground — crushed
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cold — an illness
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — a position
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pitch — completely
  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