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: hand · mine · club · land · pitch · bank · firm · prune

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hand — help
  3. land — ground
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. prune — to trim
  7. firm — steady
  8. land — to come down
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. club — for dancing
  11. firm — decided
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. hand — in cards
  15. club — a group
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. land — a country
  18. firm — a company
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bank — for money
  24. club — for golf

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