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: wound · wave · roll · rule · pitcher · mug · pitch · board

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a committee
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rule — a law
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rule — government
  12. wound — an injury
  13. roll — a list
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. board — to get on
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — a face
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. board — a flat piece

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