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: current · chest · pitch · pass · season · court · arm · foot

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. season — of the year
  7. pitch — completely
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. chest — of your body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. current — electric
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. season — in sport
  19. current — of water
  20. chest — a box
  21. court — of a king
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pass — to succeed

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