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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mug — a face
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chest — of your body
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rash — a series
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chest — a box
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cap — of ice

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