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 116 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: content · wave · clip · craft · bowl · coach · pitch · press

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. clip — for paper
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitch — completely
  18. craft — boats
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. content — happy
  23. clip — a video
  24. craft — a skill

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