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: mine · present · pitch · stand · trunk · mark · racket · cap

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. present — there
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mark — a grade
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cap — a hat
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. present — a gift
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cap — of ice
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitch — completely
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — a lid
  23. present — the time now
  24. stand — to bear

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