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: club · pitch · drill · lie · charge · kid · bark · object

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. charge — in control
  3. object — a thing
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. kid — to tease
  6. drill — the tool
  7. charge — electricity
  8. club — for golf
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — to shout
  12. charge — a price
  13. object — an aim
  14. drill — a practice
  15. club — a group
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitch — completely
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lie — to recline
  20. drill — army training
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. object — to protest
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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