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: temple · bowl · pit · bat · race · pitch · root · bore

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. root — of a plant
  3. race — humankind
  4. pit — in a race
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bore — to tire
  8. root — of a word
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. race — a contest
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. root — the cause
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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