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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kid — child
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. firm — steady
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. game — a match
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. band — a ring
  9. kid — to tease
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. firm — decided
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. firm — a company
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pit — a hole
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pitcher — a jug

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