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: pitch · track · hide · staff · tear · lie · hand · swing

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. swing — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. swing — to play on
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. track — a path
  14. lie — to recline
  15. tear — to rip
  16. staff — a stick
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. track — a song
  20. staff — employees
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hand — help
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tear — from crying

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