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: date · pitch · mine · pit · snap · stick · firm · press

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. firm — a company
  5. press — a publisher
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pit — in a race
  9. firm — decided
  10. pitch — completely
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. firm — steady

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