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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. last — to go on
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. last — final
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. last — finally
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to confront
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bear — the animal

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