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 · clip · dip · sharp · squash · straw

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. clip — to cut
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. clip — for paper
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. squash — to crush
  11. clip — a video
  12. dip — to sink
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pitch — completely
  15. squash — the sport
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever

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