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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. key — the most important part
  10. game — wild animals
  11. squash — to crush
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bat — the animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. game — a match
  18. charge — in control
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. season — in sport
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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