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: game · suit · face · degree · pitch · bat · prune · bulb

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. suit — to fit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. game — a match
  15. pitch — completely
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bulb — for light
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. degree — from a university
  21. game — wild animals
  22. suit — clothes
  23. degree — temperature
  24. face — to confront

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