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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. current — electric
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. court — of law
  5. current — of water
  6. bore — to tire
  7. current — happening now
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fine — all right
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. pitch — completely

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