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: key · last · object · pitch · arm · present · pound · clip

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. clip — to cut
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pound — a weight
  7. object — a thing
  8. clip — for paper
  9. present — there
  10. last — final
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. last — finally
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. clip — a video
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. last — to go on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. pound — for dogs

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