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: chair · pitcher · current · face · rest · mine · fan · pitch

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. current — happening now
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mine — for digging
  9. current — electric
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — of water
  13. chair — a leader
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rest — a break
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — belonging to me

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