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 · degree · net · stand · date · drill · cabinet · roll

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. roll — a cake
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. roll — a list
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitch — completely
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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