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: scale · season · pitch · stand · bark · staff · mine · foot

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. season — in sport
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. foot — a measure
  8. staff — employees
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. scale — in music
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. season — of the year
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. staff — employees
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mine — belonging to me

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