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 · wound · mine · cabinet · ball · bay · degree · pitch

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ball — a great time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a dance
  19. degree — from a university
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wound — an injury

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