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: mark · march · row · deal · suit · bowl · pitch · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. march — the month
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pitch — completely
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. march — the month
  15. row — a line
  16. suit — to fit
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mark — a trace
  23. march — music
  24. mark — a grade

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