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: game · bass · ground · file · cue · stand · pitcher · race

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. file — a tool
  3. race — a contest
  4. bass — the fish
  5. ground — a position
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. game — a match
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. race — humankind
  12. bass — low music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. file — a document
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ground — crushed

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