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

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — farmland
  4. drill — army training
  5. key — in music
  6. drill — the tool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pitch — completely
  12. tear — from crying
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rest — a break
  17. roll — a list
  18. rest — what's left
  19. roll — a cake
  20. drill — a practice
  21. key — the most important part
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pitch — a sports field

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