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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — a weight
  4. staff — employees
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. press — to push
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. staff — a stick
  14. press — newspapers
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mate — a friend
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pitch — completely
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mate — a partner
  24. snap — to click

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