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 116 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: key · mouse · rest · racket · game · pitch · court · content

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. key — the most important part
  4. game — wild animals
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. court — for sport
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pitch — completely
  11. key — in music
  12. court — of law
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. court — of a king
  16. content — happy
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — a match
  22. content — the amount
  23. rest — a break
  24. racket — a loud noise

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