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: safe · bat · wound · pitch · date · present · toast · track

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. track — a path
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. present — a gift
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — to keep track
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. date — the fruit
  11. track — a song
  12. toast — bread
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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