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 120 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: leaves · pitch · bat · ruler · fork · hide · mark · field

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. field — for sport
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. mark — a grade
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. fork — in a road
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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