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: pitch · deal · mine · fine · land · cap · ball · club

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cap — a hat
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pitch — completely
  12. club — a group
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fine — all right
  16. cap — of ice
  17. land — a country
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. club — for golf
  24. deal — to handle

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