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: nail · pitch · bowl · track · pop · land · dip · key

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pop — to visit
  5. land — ground
  6. pop — soda
  7. dip — to sink
  8. key — the most important part
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. key — in music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. track — a song
  18. key — for a lock
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — a path
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pop — music
  23. land — a country
  24. nail — for a hammer

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