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 120 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: pitch · spell · board · straw · racket · firm · cold · key

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. pitch — completely
  3. board — a committee
  4. key — in music
  5. board — to get on
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cold — an illness
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. firm — steady
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spell — letters
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spell — magic
  16. key — for a lock
  17. firm — a company
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. firm — decided
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. racket — a loud noise

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