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: lie · bass · wind · jam · game · toast · pitch · coach

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wind — moving air
  6. toast — bread
  7. game — a match
  8. bass — low music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lie — to recline
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pitch — completely
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bass — the fish
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wind — to turn a key

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