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: drill · game · arm · bat · scale · spell · can · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. game — wild animals
  3. can — a tin
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. drill — army training
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. game — a match
  14. pitch — completely
  15. scale — in music
  16. drill — a practice
  17. scale — size or range
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. drill — the tool
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — the animal
  24. arm — a part of something

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