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: pitcher · face · firm · mouse · pitch · kid · fork · bat

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. firm — a company
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. kid — child
  15. firm — steady
  16. kid — to tease
  17. firm — decided
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mouse — the animal

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