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: court · sharp · dip · pitch · staff · tube · drill · pit

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. court — of a king
  3. drill — the tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — a hole
  6. court — of law
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. drill — army training
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. staff — employees
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. tube — the underground
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pit — in a race
  21. drill — a practice
  22. court — for sport
  23. staff — a stick
  24. dip — a sauce

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