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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fine — all right
  6. pound — a weight
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cold — an illness
  10. squash — the sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cold — not warm
  13. tube — the underground
  14. date — the fruit
  15. tube — a container
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. toast — bread
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fine — high quality
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. squash — to crush

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