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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mate — to breed
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. hand — help
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. march — music
  14. hand — in cards
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. staff — employees
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pitch — completely
  23. march — the month
  24. staff — employees

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