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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stock — goods
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — certain
  6. last — finally
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fall — the season
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. last — to go on
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — tied together
  19. season — in sport
  20. last — final
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stock — shares
  24. season — of the year

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