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: rest · pitch · chair · foot · bat · sharp · bulb · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — a break
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pitch — completely
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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