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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. last — finally
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. last — to go on
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. board — a committee
  12. last — final
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pit — a hole
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pitch — completely
  23. board — to get on
  24. coach — a trainer

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