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: board · pitch · file · swing · stem · ball · pound · field

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. board — to get on
  6. pound — a weight
  7. swing — music
  8. field — farmland
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stem — to come from
  11. board — a committee
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. field — for sport
  14. swing — in golf
  15. field — a subject
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ball — a great time
  23. file — a document
  24. pitch — a sports field

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