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: arm · temple · racket · press · track · face · mine · pitch

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. press — a publisher
  3. face — to point toward
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. press — to push
  9. pitch — completely
  10. press — newspapers
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mine — for digging
  13. track — a path
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. track — to keep track
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. track — a song
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. temple — a place of worship

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