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: racket · degree · capital · chip · pitch · mouse · coach · ball

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. capital — money
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. degree — from a university
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chip — for betting
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — an amount
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. degree — temperature
  22. ball — a great time
  23. capital — a city
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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