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: spring · pitcher · press · pitch · patient · key · wound · chest

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spring — a coil
  3. key — the most important part
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitch — completely
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. key — in music
  10. chest — a box
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chest — of your body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. key — for a lock
  18. spring — the season
  19. chest — of your body
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. press — to push

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