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: wind · charge · pitcher · pit · scale · stick · racket · spring

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spring — of water
  10. wind — moving air
  11. scale — in music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spring — the season
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. spring — a coil
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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