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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. court — for sport
  8. club — for golf
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cap — a hat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. club — a group
  17. court — of law
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cell — a phone
  22. court — of a king
  23. club — for dancing
  24. arm — a part of something

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