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: march · stick · tear · last · pop · pitch · wound · leaves

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. march — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. march — the month
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. last — final
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wound — an injury
  21. march — the month
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pop — to visit

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