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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. roll — a list
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. scale — size or range
  9. key — for a lock
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. roll — a cake
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. key — the most important part
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. hand — help
  18. cold — not warm
  19. key — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cold — an illness
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. foot — a measure

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