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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. roll — a list
  3. spring — a coil
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spring — of water
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. game — a match
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. game — wild animals
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spring — the season
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. roll — a cake
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — completely
  22. tear — to rip
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pitcher — a jug

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