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: calf · bear · wave · pitch · cold · press · snap · bass

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. press — to push
  9. bear — the animal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bass — the fish
  19. press — newspapers
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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