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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. ball — a dance
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rock — music
  6. kid — to tease
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mug — to rob
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. face — to confront
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mug — a face
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. land — to come down
  23. kid — child
  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