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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. court — of law
  3. rash — a series
  4. current — happening now
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. staff — a stick
  7. court — for sport
  8. current — of water
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — electric
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. staff — employees
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cell — in biology
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rash — hasty
  24. court — of a king

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