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: wind · racket · toast · court · game · ball · pitch · bear

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. toast — bread
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. wind — moving air
  12. court — for sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bear — the animal
  15. game — a match
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bear — the animal
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. ball — a dance
  24. game — wild animals

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