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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ground — a position
  5. degree — an amount
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. present — the time now
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitch — completely
  15. staff — a stick
  16. chest — of your body
  17. present — a gift
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. present — there
  21. degree — from a university
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. track — a song

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