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: land · wound · bass · chest · bay · pit · tear · pitch

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bass — low music
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. land — to come down

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