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: chest · bowl · bark · hide · mine · lie · stock · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chest — a box
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stock — goods
  11. mine — for digging
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. lie — to recline
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stock — shares
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lie — an untruth
  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