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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fine — all right
  5. row — a line
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. press — a publisher
  10. row — to paddle
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. club — for golf
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. club — a group
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pitch — completely
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bat — the animal
  24. club — for dancing

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