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: rush · game · pitch · court · wind · bank · patient · racket

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wind — moving air
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. game — a match
  15. court — for sport
  16. rush — hurry
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pitch — completely

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