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: shower · track · pitch · net · safe · season · saw · drill

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. track — a path
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. net — for catching
  7. saw — the tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — of the year
  12. net — after costs
  13. season — in sport
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. track — a song
  17. shower — to wash
  18. net — in sport
  19. drill — a practice
  20. shower — rain
  21. drill — the tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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