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: bass · chair · current · pitch · spell · kick · bank · cell

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. kick — in football
  2. bass — low music
  3. cell — a phone
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. spell — letters
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bank — for money
  12. cell — in biology
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. bank — for money
  17. spell — magic
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chair — a leader
  22. current — happening now
  23. pitch — completely
  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