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 120 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: firm · net · spell · bore · squash · trunk · pitch · face

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. net — for catching
  7. bore — to tire
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. spell — a short time
  11. face — to point toward
  12. net — after costs
  13. firm — steady
  14. squash — to crush
  15. spell — letters
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. spell — magic
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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