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: date · racket · leaves · drill · lean · pitch · roll · court

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. drill — a practice
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. lean — to bend
  7. date — the fruit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — of law
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pitch — completely
  12. roll — a list
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. court — for sport
  18. roll — a cake
  19. court — of a king
  20. drill — army training
  21. lean — thin
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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