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: wave · hide · pitch · degree · face · net · pitcher · perch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. face — to confront
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. net — after costs
  6. face — to point toward
  7. perch — the fish
  8. net — for catching
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. face — part of the head
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. degree — from a university
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — in sport
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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