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: key · pitch · date · kid · rest · pop

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rest — a break
  3. kid — to tease
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kid — child
  13. key — in music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — to visit

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