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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. scale — in music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. content — happy
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. content — the amount
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — farmland
  24. chip — to eat

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