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 116 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 · rock · bat · perch · prune · bay · lean · mine

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lean — to bend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. prune — to trim
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mine — for digging
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. lean — thin
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rock — music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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