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 · field · squash · club · temple · object · foot · cell

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. club — for golf
  3. squash — the sport
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cell — a phone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. object — a thing
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. field — farmland
  14. pitch — completely
  15. object — to protest
  16. field — for sport
  17. club — a group
  18. cell — in biology
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. field — a subject
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. object — an aim

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