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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. face — to confront
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. squash — the sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. season — in sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. season — of the year
  9. squash — to crush
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mug — a face
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. face — to point toward
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. face — part of the head
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. sharp — with an edge

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