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: clip · pit · swing · pitch · arm · charge · mark · leaves

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pit — a hole
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pit — in a race
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. clip — a video
  9. swing — music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. swing — to play on
  12. clip — for paper
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mark — a grade
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. charge — in control
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mark — a trace
  24. charge — a price

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