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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. last — finally
  3. race — a contest
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — certain
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. last — final
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. last — to go on
  14. bound — obliged
  15. perch — the fish
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. perch — for a bird

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