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: prune · row · mug · stick · content · arm · wind · pitch

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. content — happy
  4. mug — a face
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wind — moving air
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitch — completely
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wind — moving air
  15. content — the amount
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. row — to paddle
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. row — a line
  24. wind — to turn a key

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