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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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 — a sports field
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. row — to paddle
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. capital — a city
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. row — a line
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rest — a break
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. date — the fruit
  14. capital — money
  15. squash — to crush
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pound — a weight
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. squash — the sport
  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