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: fork · lean · drill · cue · pitch · present · swing · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. swing — to play on
  3. present — a gift
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. swing — music
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. present — there
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. lean — thin
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cue — for pool
  19. present — the time now
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lean — to bend

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