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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. firm — decided
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. firm — a company
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bat — the animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. toast — bread
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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