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: wound · staff · bore · season · mark · band · pitch · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pitch — completely
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wound — an injury
  16. staff — employees
  17. band — a ring
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mark — a trace
  21. band — a music group
  22. wound — an injury
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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