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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. squash — the sport
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — to grow
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rush — hurry
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. dip — to sink
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — a sauce

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