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: hide · current · game · ground · pitch · sharp · rush · season

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ground — crushed
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ground — a position
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. current — of water
  15. season — in sport
  16. current — happening now
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. current — electric
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. ground — the earth

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