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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. clip — to cut
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitch — completely
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. clip — a video
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fork — a garden tool

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