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 120 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: bass · club · last · chair · pitch · tear · stand · fine

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bass — the fish
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pitch — completely
  6. last — final
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. last — to go on
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fine — high quality
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bass — low music
  16. tear — to rip
  17. club — a group
  18. stand — to bear
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. last — finally
  24. bass — the instrument

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