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: file · lie · toast · present · rush · prune · pitch · wound

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. lie — to recline
  7. file — a tool
  8. toast — bread
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. file — a document
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. present — there
  19. wound — an injury
  20. present — a gift
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. present — the time now
  24. pitch — completely

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