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 120 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: tube · sharp · cold · staff · lie · pitch · court · firm

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. pitch — completely
  3. firm — steady
  4. staff — employees
  5. firm — decided
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. staff — employees
  10. lie — to recline
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. court — of a king
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — an illness
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — for sport
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. firm — a company

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