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 · craft · scale · land · track · press · bark · capital

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. track — a path
  4. land — a country
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. craft — a skill
  7. press — a publisher
  8. craft — boats
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. land — ground
  13. press — to push
  14. capital — a city
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. track — to keep track
  17. capital — money
  18. land — to come down
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bark — to shout
  23. track — a song
  24. scale — in music

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