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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mate — a partner
  4. race — a contest
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chest — a box
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. race — humankind
  12. pitch — completely
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mug — a face
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tube — a container
  23. bat — the animal
  24. tube — in a tire

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