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: pitch · squash · fall · cap · swing · can · clip · key

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. key — the most important part
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. clip — to cut
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fall — the season
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fall — to drop
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cap — a hat
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. can — a tin
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cap — a lid
  23. squash — the sport
  24. can — a tin

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