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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. race — humankind
  3. spell — a short time
  4. scale — size or range
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. can — a tin
  7. race — the arms race
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. race — a contest
  18. deal — to handle
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mate — to breed
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. scale — in music
  24. can — a tin

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