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: lean · plane · last · ball · court · racket · leaves · pitch

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lean — to bend
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. court — for sport
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — completely
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. last — finally
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. last — to go on
  22. ball — a great time
  23. court — of law
  24. ball — a dance

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