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: prune · mine · nail · wound · suit · field · pitch · bass

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bass — the fish
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mine — for digging
  9. suit — to fit
  10. field — a subject
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. field — farmland
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pitch — completely

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