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: perch · capital · bat · rush · foot · pitch · arm · pit

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. capital — money
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. capital — a city
  10. pit — in a race
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pit — a hole
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. arm — part of the body

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