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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rock — music
  6. root — the cause
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. staff — employees
  9. land — ground
  10. fine — all right
  11. band — a ring
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. land — to come down
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — a country
  19. root — of a plant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. root — of a word
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — a stone

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