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: rest · last · wound · lash · nail · bass · pitch · racket

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rest — a break
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bass — the fish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — to go on
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rest — what's left
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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