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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. track — a song
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. swing — music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. swing — in golf
  17. chest — a box
  18. swing — to play on
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. bark — of a tree

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