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: pitcher · bark · pitch · mouse · wind · mug · spell · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mug — a face
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bark — to shout
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. track — a song
  21. spell — letters
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. track — a path

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