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: pitch · wave · squash · clip · row · present · rock · club

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rock — a stone
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pitch — completely
  10. club — a group
  11. clip — a video
  12. present — a gift
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. present — there
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. row — a line
  18. clip — to cut
  19. club — for golf
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. clip — for paper
  23. rock — music
  24. present — the time now

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