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: swing · pop · rash · present · pitch · pitcher · wax · coach

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pop — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. swing — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. present — a gift
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pitch — completely
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. swing — in golf

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