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: cabinet · pound · pitch · bulb · mouse · content · bat · hide

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. content — happy
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pound — to hit hard

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