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: pitch · bat · saw · bowl · current · coach · jam · perch

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bat — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitch — completely
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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