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 · wind · fine · last · season · toast · lie · tube

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — of the year
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. tube — a container
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. toast — bread
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. fine — all right
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wind — moving air
  22. last — to go on
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wind — moving air

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