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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cold — an illness
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. cold — not warm
  17. band — a ring
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mark — a grade
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. band — a music group
  22. spell — magic
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lash — to lash out

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