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: pitch · bound · ball · wave · fan · band · tube · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bound — certain
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tube — a container
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fall — the season
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. band — a ring
  18. ball — a great time
  19. tube — the underground
  20. band — a music group
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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