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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mark — a trace
  5. track — a path
  6. net — after costs
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mate — a friend
  9. net — in sport
  10. band — a ring
  11. net — for catching
  12. mate — a partner
  13. track — a song
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. band — a music group
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mark — a grade

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