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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. game — a match
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pop — soda
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pop — music
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cue — a signal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pop — to visit

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