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: pitch · spell · wake · date · net · pound

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pound — a weight
  8. date — the fruit
  9. net — for catching
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. spell — letters
  12. net — in sport
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spell — magic

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