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: last · racket · game · straw · bowl · mouse · arm · pitch

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. last — final
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. game — wild animals
  14. last — finally
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. last — to go on
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. game — a match
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitch — completely
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — to roll

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