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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. spring — of water
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. clip — a video
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. clip — to cut
  11. spring — a coil
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fork — in a road
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pound — a weight
  16. spring — the season
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. suit — clothes
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lean — thin
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. lean — to rest against

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