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: pitcher · rock · bark · degree · pop · sharp · mouse · pitch

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — to visit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pop — music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitch — completely
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pop — soda
  24. rock — music

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