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: hide · dip · club · bat · roll · lean · lash · pitch

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pitch — completely
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bat — the animal
  10. roll — a cake
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lean — thin
  13. roll — a list
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. club — for golf
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. club — a group
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. club — for dancing
  24. hide — to keep secret

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