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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. swing — in golf
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. row — a line
  7. pound — a weight
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. swing — to play on
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. file — a document
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. kick — in football
  18. cell — a phone
  19. game — wild animals
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. swing — music
  24. game — a match

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