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: band · pitch · swing · squash · safe · face · current · perch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a music group
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. band — a ring
  9. face — to point toward
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. squash — to crush
  12. swing — to play on
  13. face — to confront
  14. squash — the sport
  15. perch — the fish
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. swing — in golf
  18. current — happening now
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. face — part of the head
  23. swing — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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