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: fall · nail · fan · pitch · court · face · bound · hide

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. face — to confront
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. court — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bound — obliged
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bound — certain
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — of a king
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — of law
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. hide — to keep secret

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