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: pitcher · firm · land · mine · squash · stand · toast · pound

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pound — a weight
  8. land — ground
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. firm — a company
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mine — for digging
  18. land — a country
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. land — to come down
  22. stand — to bear
  23. firm — steady
  24. squash — the vegetable

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