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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — a break
  8. wax — to grow
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. net — for catching
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — after costs
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rest — what's left
  21. net — in sport
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rest — what's left

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