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 116 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 · safe · march · rush · pitcher · prune

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. march — music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rush — hurry
  10. march — the month
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. march — the month
  16. rush — to hurry
  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