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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. drill — army training
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pitch — completely
  6. drill — the tool
  7. last — finally
  8. deal — to handle
  9. drill — a practice
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. last — to go on
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mate — a friend
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bass — low music
  24. chip — in a computer

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