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: ball · land · bear · kick · face · straw · drill · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. land — to come down
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. drill — army training
  12. land — a country
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. ball — a dance
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. drill — the tool
  23. land — ground
  24. bear — to put up with

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