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: rash · pitch · cell · ground · hide · toast · safe · kick

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ground — a position
  4. rash — a series
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. toast — bread
  13. pitch — completely
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cell — in biology
  23. kick — in football
  24. safe — out of danger

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