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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. key — in music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pit — in a race
  16. face — to confront
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wind — moving air
  24. key — the most important part

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