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 120 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: firm · lean · capital · kid · ball · pitch · present · face

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. face — to confront
  4. present — there
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lean — to bend
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lean — thin
  12. pitch — completely
  13. capital — money
  14. present — a gift
  15. firm — a company
  16. ball — a dance
  17. capital — a city
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. firm — steady
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. present — the time now
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ball — a great time
  24. firm — decided

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