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 · chair · pit · trunk · last · mine · pitcher · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. last — to go on
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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