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 120 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: net · saw · pitch · ball · cue · row · spring · snap

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. spring — a coil
  3. saw — the tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ball — a dance
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cue — for pool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cue — a hint
  11. net — for catching
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitch — completely
  14. snap — to click
  15. ball — a great time
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. net — in sport
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. net — after costs
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. row — a line

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