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: spring · pitcher · current · pitch · fine · game

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. current — electric
  4. spring — the season
  5. fine — high quality
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — completely
  9. current — of water
  10. game — a match
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. current — happening now
  16. spring — of water
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pitcher — a jug

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