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 · bat · pitch · cell · fine · scale · stand · club

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. scale — in music
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fine — all right
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. scale — size or range

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