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 · row · perch · degree · tear · vault · straw · nail

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. degree — from a university
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. row — a line
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. degree — temperature
  16. tear — to rip
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — a safe
  21. degree — an amount
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. straw — a straw man

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