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: drill · saw · bay · pitch · coach · band · row · pit

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. saw — the tool
  3. row — a line
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. band — a music group
  12. drill — army training
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. saw — the tool
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. band — a ring
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. row — to paddle

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