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: bat · racket · roll · pitch · temple · can · game · deal

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pitch — completely
  3. deal — to handle
  4. can — to be able to
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. roll — a list
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. can — a tin

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