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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. track — a path
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. firm — a company
  8. track — a song
  9. firm — steady
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. drill — army training
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — a match
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — wild animals
  20. shower — to wash
  21. drill — a practice
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. firm — decided

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