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 116 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. club — for golf
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. club — a group
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitch — completely
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fine — all right
  13. kid — child
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stand — to bear
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. key — the most important part
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. key — in music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. game — a kind of play

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