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: season · stand · chest · pitch · cabinet · fine · mate · bark

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mate — a partner
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chest — a box
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fine — high quality
  23. season — in sport
  24. chest — of your 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