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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cap — a hat
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lean — thin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stock — goods
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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