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: bank · bat · mark · game · pit · pitch · patient · clip

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bank — for money
  19. clip — a video
  20. pitch — completely
  21. clip — to cut
  22. game — a match
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. clip — for paper

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