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: firm · row · pitch · club · land · coach · patient · lie

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. land — ground
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. row — to paddle
  6. club — a group
  7. row — a line
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. club — for dancing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. land — a country
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitch — completely
  21. club — for golf
  22. land — to come down
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. coach — a trainer

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