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 120 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: lean · can · ground · perch · cap · fine · last · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fine — all right
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. can — a tin
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cap — a lid
  9. perch — the fish
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ground — a position
  13. cap — of ice
  14. last — final
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pitch — completely
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lean — thin
  20. last — to go on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fine — high quality
  23. last — finally
  24. can — a tin

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