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 · court · pit · bat · chest · coach · deal · temple

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. court — for sport
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chest — of your body
  11. court — of law
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. court — of a king
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitch — completely
  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