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: clip · chest · bear · bore · mouse · hide · pitch · toast

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. chest — a box
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. clip — a video
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. clip — for paper
  21. chest — of your body
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bore — to tire

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