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: stock · object · pitch · rule · clip · pop · lean · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. clip — a video
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitch — completely
  11. lean — thin
  12. pop — soda
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rule — government
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rule — a law
  17. pop — music
  18. object — an aim
  19. stock — goods
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stock — shares
  23. clip — for paper
  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