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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · cap · pitch · fine · perch · saw

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. 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. fine — a penalty
  2. toast — bread
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cap — a hat
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fine — all right
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cap — a lid
  12. perch — the fish
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cap — of ice
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. 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