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: land · pitch · pit · pound · cap · chip · plane · press

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. land — to come down
  4. plane — a tool
  5. press — to push
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cap — of ice
  12. land — ground
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cap — a lid
  17. land — a country
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. press — a publisher
  24. plane — in geometry

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