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: chip · fork · race · pitch · cap · hide · ground · net

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. race — a contest
  4. ground — crushed
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pitch — completely
  8. net — after costs
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. race — humankind
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. chip — to eat
  19. net — in sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. net — for catching
  23. cap — a lid
  24. hide — animal skin

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