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: toast · hide · bat · pitch · leaves · racket · bass · face

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. face — part of the head
  8. toast — bread
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. face — to confront
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. face — to point toward
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bat — the animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  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