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: wake · clip · toast · pitch · spell · band · plane · pitcher

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitch — completely
  12. toast — bread
  13. band — a music group
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wake — a trail
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. spell — letters
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. clip — a video
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. wake — before a funeral

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