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: pitch · jam · wave · coach · rash · rock · net · chest

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rock — music
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. net — in sport
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. net — after costs
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chest — a box
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chest — of your body
  15. net — for catching
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rash — a series
  24. jam — in traffic

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