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 120 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: net · last · ball · chest · cue · kick · prune · pitch

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chest — of your body
  6. last — finally
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. last — to go on
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chest — of your body
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. ball — a great time
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. chest — a box
  17. ball — a dance
  18. net — for catching
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. last — final
  21. net — in sport
  22. kick — in football
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. prune — to trim

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