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: pit · board · pitch · plane · land · can · game · drill

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pit — in a race
  3. plane — a tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. board — a committee
  10. drill — a practice
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. pitch — completely
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — a country
  16. pit — a hole
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. drill — army training
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. drill — the tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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