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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. roll — a list
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mate — a friend
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chair — a leader
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. tube — a container
  18. mate — to breed
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mate — a partner
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. chair — a professorship

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