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 · face · rest · mouse · pop · bass · hide · ground

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ground — a position
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bass — the fish
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — a break
  7. pop — music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — low music
  15. face — to confront
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pop — soda
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rest — what's left

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