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: game · stick · bat · bowl · charge · lean · rock · racket

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lean — to bend
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. bat — the animal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rock — a stone
  16. charge — electricity
  17. game — a match
  18. lean — thin
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bowl — a football final

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