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: wound · pitch · pitcher · sharp · bound · swing · nail · lash

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — completely
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lash — to lash out

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