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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. track — a song
  16. last — finally
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. track — a path
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wake — a trail
  21. last — final
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. last — to go on
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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