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: racket · patient · cold · pitch · temple · leaves · hide · pop

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — to visit
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pop — soda
  14. cold — not warm
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cold — an illness
  17. pop — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitch — completely

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