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: pitch · fine · bore · bear · key · last · date · rush

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. last — final
  3. last — finally
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. key — in music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fine — high quality
  17. last — to go on
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. date — the fruit

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