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: pitch · toast · wave · cold · rule · root · track · net

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. cold — not warm
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rule — government
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. net — for catching
  9. root — of a word
  10. track — a path
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. net — in sport
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cold — an illness
  18. net — after costs
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. root — of a plant
  22. track — a song
  23. rule — a law
  24. root — the cause

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