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: pitch · bear · key · land · row · race · club · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bear — the animal
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. race — humankind
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. race — the arms race
  14. key — in music
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. club — a group
  22. race — a contest
  23. land — to come down
  24. club — for golf

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