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

Word bank: chest · pitch · arm · leaves · chair · charge · cue · degree

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. chest — of your body
  3. charge — a price
  4. cue — a signal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chair — a leader
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cue — for pool
  16. degree — from a university
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. degree — an amount
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cue — a hint
  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