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: swing · fork · pitch · tear · vault · content · sharp · arm

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. sharp — clever
  3. content — happy
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fork — in a road
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. tear — from crying
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. swing — music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — a safe
  20. swing — in golf
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. content — the amount
  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