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: march · saw · pitch · object · bound · rock · firm · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — music
  4. object — a thing
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. saw — the tool
  8. firm — steady
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. march — the month
  12. pitch — completely
  13. firm — decided
  14. march — the month
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. firm — a company
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rock — a stone
  24. march — music

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