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: pitch · perch · plane · game · track · drill · staff · ground

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. drill — army training
  3. staff — a stick
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. track — a song
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. staff — employees
  17. game — a match
  18. drill — the tool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. ground — crushed
  23. perch — the fish
  24. game — a kind of play

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