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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pitch — completely
  4. hand — in cards
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pit — a hole
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bass — low music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. kick — in football
  19. game — a match
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bass — the fish

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