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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mate — a partner
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mate — to breed
  5. staff — a stick
  6. club — a group
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — an injury
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitch — completely
  12. firm — decided
  13. staff — employees
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. club — for golf

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