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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pitch — completely
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. last — finally
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. last — final
  7. sharp — clever
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. net — in sport
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pound — a weight
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. last — to go on
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. trunk — of a car

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