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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · bowl · scale · pitch · racket · chip

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. scale — in music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. scale — size or range
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wake — a trail
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chip — to eat

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