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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. roll — a cake
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. last — final
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. last — finally
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. last — to go on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bore — to drill
  24. vault — a safe

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