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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · spring · bass · stock · wake · fan · can · court

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. spring — the season
  3. wake — a trail
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. spring — a coil
  8. court — of law
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spring — of water
  22. court — for sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. court — of a king

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