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: nail · pit · deal · shower · bound · pitch · bark · drill

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. drill — a practice
  10. deal — to handle
  11. shower — rain
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bound — obliged
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — in a race
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. drill — army training
  23. bound — tied together
  24. drill — the tool

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