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 120 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 · spell · bass · mate · present · sharp · game · rest

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. spell — magic
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spell — a short time
  5. sharp — clever
  6. present — there
  7. mate — a friend
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. spell — letters
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bass — low music
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — completely
  21. game — a match
  22. rest — a break
  23. bass — the fish
  24. game — a kind of play

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