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: kick · pitch · hand · wave · court · mouse · drill · present

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. drill — army training
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. drill — a practice
  8. present — the time now
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. court — of law
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. kick — in football
  14. hand — help
  15. present — there
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. present — a gift
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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