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: current · kick · pitch · field · arm · swing · scale · vault

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitch — completely
  3. field — a subject
  4. scale — in music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. swing — in golf
  13. current — electric
  14. field — farmland
  15. current — happening now
  16. vault — a safe
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. current — of water
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. swing — music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. swing — to play on
  24. field — for sport

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