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: spell · current · land · saw · prune · track · firm · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. spell — magic
  3. prune — to trim
  4. land — to come down
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — a short time
  7. track — to keep track
  8. current — happening now
  9. track — a song
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. track — a path
  12. prune — to trim
  13. land — a country
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. current — of water
  16. land — ground
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. spell — letters
  20. saw — the tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. current — electric
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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