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: wave · lie · pound · pitch · row · band · date · drill

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. date — the fruit
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. drill — a practice
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pound — a weight
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. band — a ring
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pitch — completely
  14. row — a line
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. band — a music group
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wave — of the sea

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