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 · net · chest · lash · rest · chip · march · fork

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. net — for catching
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. net — in sport
  17. march — music
  18. net — after costs
  19. march — the month
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. march — the month
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rest — a break

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