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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. field — for sport
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ground — the earth
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. field — farmland
  10. ground — crushed
  11. field — a subject
  12. ground — a position
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. hand — help

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