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: bat · capital · saw · coach · bear · file · bore · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bore — to tire
  9. capital — a city
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. saw — the tool
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. saw — the tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. capital — money

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