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: wind · pitch · stock · wave · wake · staff · capital · rest

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rest — what's left
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stock — goods
  11. wind — moving air
  12. staff — employees
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rest — a break
  19. capital — money
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. capital — a city
  22. stock — shares
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wake — before a funeral

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