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 · net · pitch · file · pit · bass · content · cabinet

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — happy
  5. pit — a hole
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. net — for catching
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. content — the amount
  12. bass — low music
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. file — a document
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitch — a sports field

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