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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. chair — a leader
  4. club — for dancing
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. club — a group
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wound — an injury
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. press — a publisher
  20. club — for golf
  21. press — to push
  22. pound — a weight
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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