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 124 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 · capital · sharp · track · jam · bowl · cell · wake

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pitch — completely
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. track — a path
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cell — a phone
  21. track — a song
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wake — before a funeral

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