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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. game — wild animals
  8. press — to push
  9. vault — a safe
  10. press — newspapers
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. press — a publisher
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. season — of the year
  16. pitch — completely
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. game — a match
  23. season — in sport
  24. race — the arms race

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