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: race · roll · bat · content · hand · wave · charge · pitch

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bat — the animal
  4. race — a contest
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitch — completely
  13. race — humankind
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. roll — a list
  18. charge — a price
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. content — happy
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. hand — help

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