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 116 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: fan · stand · perch · staff · tube · straw · season · pitch

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — of the year
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitch — completely
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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