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: lean · pitch · last · wind · track · rash · ruler · wound

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. wound — an injury
  9. track — a song
  10. last — finally
  11. lean — thin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. track — a path
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. last — final
  20. wind — moving air
  21. last — to go on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wind — moving air

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