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 120 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 · ground · bowl · foot · ruler · bank · clip · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. bank — for money
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rest — what's left
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitch — a sports field

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