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: season · mug · mark · face · shower · pound · jam · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. season — of the year
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pound — a weight
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. shower — to wash
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. face — to confront
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. shower — rain

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