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 · patient · mate · squash · chest · sharp · clip · fork

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chest — a box
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. clip — for paper
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mate — a partner
  14. clip — a video
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chest — of your body
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mate — to breed
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. chest — of your body

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