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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. can — a tin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — a series
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rock — a stone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rock — music
  20. kick — in football
  21. bulb — for light
  22. can — to be able to
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pitch — completely

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