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: chest · row · snap · date · chip · pitch · rule · racket

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. row — a line
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. chest — a box
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rule — government
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rule — a law
  16. snap — to click
  17. chest — of your body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. chip — to eat
  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