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: mate · mine · pitch · rock · swing · rash · foot · pound

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mate — a partner
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mate — a friend
  8. swing — music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. foot — a measure
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rock — music
  13. rash — a series
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pound — a weight

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