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: mouse · current · bound · pitch · foot · clip · face · pop

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — for paper
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. bound — certain
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pop — music
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pop — to visit
  14. face — part of the head
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. bound — obliged
  21. current — electric
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pop — soda

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