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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mate — a partner
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mug — a face
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pit — in a race
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. last — final

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