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: rest · track · snap · pitch · fine · chair · bat · rash

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. track — to keep track
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. rash — hasty
  8. track — a song
  9. chair — a leader
  10. track — a path
  11. rash — a series
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. snap — to click
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rest — a break
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rest — what's left

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