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: suit · fan · hand · saw · date · bark · pitch · mate

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bark — to shout
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. date — the fruit
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mate — a partner
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. hand — in cards

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