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: wave · pitch · court · mine · charge · patient · trunk · fan

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. court — for sport
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. charge — in control
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — a price
  10. pitch — completely
  11. court — of law
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. charge — electricity
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. court — of a king
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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