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: bowl · pitch · game · leaves · mouse · pound · degree · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cell — a phone
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. degree — temperature
  16. game — a match
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cell — in a prison

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