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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. date — the fruit
  3. spell — letters
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. spell — magic
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. firm — steady
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rash — a series
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. wake — a trail

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