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 · snap · ruler · chip · court · swing · squash · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. snap — to click
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitch — completely
  6. swing — in golf
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. court — for sport
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. swing — music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. court — of a king
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chip — to eat
  24. court — of law

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