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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. key — for a lock
  3. game — wild animals
  4. face — to confront
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. game — a match
  9. key — the most important part
  10. charge — a price
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bound — certain
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. key — in music
  21. bound — tied together
  22. face — to point toward
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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