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: bowl · pitch · arm · mark · drill · mouse · temple · date

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. drill — army training
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mark — a grade
  11. drill — a practice
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mark — a trace
  24. temple — a place of worship

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