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 · squash · lie · last · bear · mate · scale · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. squash — to crush
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mate — a partner
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mate — to breed
  8. scale — size or range
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. scale — in music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lie — to recline
  15. last — to go on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitch — completely

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