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: mate · hand · tear · pitch · sharp · net · fine · ground

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. net — after costs
  6. ground — a position
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. net — for catching
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fine — high quality
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. net — in sport
  19. fine — all right
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mate — a friend

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