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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. court — for sport
  12. present — the time now
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. court — of law
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. court — of a king
  22. present — a gift
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. date — the fruit

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