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: chest · rule · pitch · coach · mate · arm · game · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. net — in sport
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rule — a law
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. game — a match
  10. pitch — completely
  11. chest — a box
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. net — for catching
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. net — after costs
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rule — government
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  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