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: pit · pitch · mine · fork · racket · season · press · perch

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. season — in sport
  3. press — to push
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — completely
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — of the year
  9. pit — a hole
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. press — a publisher
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fork — in a road
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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