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: pitch · file · temple · mine · toast · mug · nail · content

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mine — for digging
  5. content — happy
  6. file — a tool
  7. mug — a face
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mug — to rob
  11. toast — bread
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mug — a cup
  14. file — a line of people
  15. content — the amount
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. file — a document
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. content — videos and posts

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