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 · straw · band · jam · cue · plane · lean · pitch

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lean — thin
  9. band — a music group
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. band — a ring
  13. lean — to bend
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cue — a signal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cue — a hint
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pit — a hole
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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