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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. spell — a short time
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. can — to be able to
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — after costs
  11. spell — letters
  12. drill — the tool
  13. deal — to handle
  14. net — in sport
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. spell — magic
  19. net — for catching
  20. can — a tin
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. deal — a big deal

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