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 116 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 · stick · field · rash · last · sharp · bear · degree

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rash — a series
  6. field — farmland
  7. last — finally
  8. field — for sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. last — to go on
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitch — completely
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bear — the animal
  21. field — a subject
  22. rash — hasty
  23. last — final
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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