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: pitch · ball · cell · game · bank · leaves · wind · kick

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bank — for money
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. game — a match
  16. cell — a phone
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ball — a great time
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wind — moving air
  24. kick — with a leg

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