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: foot · tear · prune · pitch · pass · band · net · pop

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pop — to visit
  3. band — a ring
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. net — for catching
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pop — soda
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. tear — from crying
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — completely
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pop — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. band — a music group
  23. net — after costs
  24. prune — the fruit

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