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 · toast · bark · foot · mug · march · pitch · file

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. march — music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — the month
  15. mug — to rob
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mug — a face
  20. march — the month
  21. foot — a measure
  22. file — a tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bark — of a tree

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