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: pitcher · march · current · board · bark · firm · pitch · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitch — completely
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. march — the month
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. current — of water
  12. firm — steady
  13. board — a committee
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. firm — decided
  18. march — the month
  19. firm — a company
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. march — music

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