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 120 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: rest · track · pitch · sharp · mate · ground · squash · pound

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mate — to breed
  10. track — a song
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. track — to keep track
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rest — a break
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rest — what's left
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mate — a partner

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