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

Word bank: fan · pitch · hide · wave · mate · kid · season · current

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. current — happening now
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. kid — to tease
  13. season — in sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. current — electric
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — of the year
  20. kid — child
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. current — of water
  24. pitch — completely

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