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 · fall · stick · bat · toast · bore · coach · chair

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bore — to tire
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — completely
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — bread
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fall — the season
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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