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 116 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 · hide · cabinet · ball · pitch · content · kick · vault

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. content — happy
  3. kick — in football
  4. pitch — completely
  5. ball — a dance
  6. content — the amount
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. vault — a safe
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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