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: scale · fall · pitch · dip · rush · last · pitcher · kid

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. kid — child
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fall — the season
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. scale — in music
  12. last — final
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. last — to go on
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fall — to drop
  22. last — finally
  23. kid — to tease
  24. scale — for weighing

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