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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. march — the month
  3. roll — a cake
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. content — happy
  7. march — the month
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. march — music
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. swing — in golf
  15. toast — bread
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. roll — a list
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. content — the amount

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