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: mark · pitch · bark · net · hide · sharp · roll · present

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. net — for catching
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. roll — a cake
  7. net — in sport
  8. present — there
  9. roll — a list
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. present — a gift
  12. sharp — clever
  13. net — after costs
  14. present — the time now
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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