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: bowl · stick · lie · mug · race · ground · straw · pitch

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ground — crushed
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. race — humankind
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mug — a face
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mug — a cup
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. race — the arms race
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — a position
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. race — a contest

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