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 just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bound — obliged
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bank — for money
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bound — certain
  18. bank — of a river
  19. hand — help
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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