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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. season — of the year
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. last — final
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. last — to go on
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fine — all right
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. season — in sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitch — completely
  23. last — finally
  24. pitcher — a jug

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