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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitch — completely
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bear — the animal
  10. row — a line
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — a hole
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. present — the time now
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bear — the animal

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