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 · pit · deal · pound · jam · bat · pitcher · ball

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. deal — to handle
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. chest — a box
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pit — in a race

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