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: cue · pitch · wave · track · court · lie · lean · squash

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. court — for sport
  6. track — a song
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pitch — completely
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. track — a path
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. court — of a king
  21. lean — thin
  22. cue — a signal
  23. court — of law
  24. lean — to rest against

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