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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rash — a series
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitch — completely
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cold — an illness
  22. can — a tin
  23. cold — not warm
  24. racket — for tennis

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