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: pitch · bore · row · firm · can · fork · cold · prune

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cold — not warm
  9. can — to be able to
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — a line
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitch — completely
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. can — a tin
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bore — to tire
  23. row — to paddle
  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