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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. plane — a tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. drill — the tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. drill — army training
  17. ground — a position
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitch — completely
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — crushed
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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