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

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bat — the animal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cue — for pool
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. capital — a city
  8. field — a subject
  9. capital — money
  10. pitch — completely
  11. charge — a price
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. cue — a hint
  15. field — for sport
  16. cue — a signal
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. foot — a measure
  20. charge — in control
  21. field — farmland
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bat — for baseball

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