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: suit · pitcher · coach · march · ground · rest · lash · wind

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. suit — in cards
  4. march — music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — a break
  7. march — the month
  8. ground — the earth
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. march — the month
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. suit — to fit

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