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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hand — in cards
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. swing — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. row — a line
  17. stand — to bear
  18. swing — in golf
  19. hand — help
  20. bound — certain
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sports field

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