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: row · pitch · cap · key · hide · charge · object · season

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. key — the most important part
  6. charge — a price
  7. object — a thing
  8. cap — a hat
  9. row — a line
  10. key — for a lock
  11. charge — in control
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cap — a lid
  15. object — to protest
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. season — in sport
  18. key — in music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitch — completely
  24. object — an aim

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