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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pound — a weight
  6. drill — army training
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. drill — a practice
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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