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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. last — final
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cold — an illness
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. last — finally
  13. lean — thin
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lean — to bend
  16. last — to go on
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lean — to rest against

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