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: tube · temple · ground · pound · mug · march · spell · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mug — a cup
  3. tube — the underground
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. spell — letters
  6. mug — to rob
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ground — a position
  9. mug — a face
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tube — a container
  12. march — the month
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitch — completely
  15. march — the month
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. march — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spell — magic
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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