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: saw · court · rush · pitch · stand · chest · degree · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. court — of law
  7. chest — of your body
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mug — a face
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. court — for sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pitch — completely
  19. court — of a king
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stand — to bear
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rush — to hurry

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