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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rash — hasty
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. scale — in music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. game — a match
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. field — a subject
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. field — for sport
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. game — wild animals
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — farmland
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pit — a hole

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