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 · cold · fine · fork · safe · root · leaves · rash

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. root — the cause
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fine — all right
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cold — not warm
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fork — in a road
  15. root — of a plant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rash — a series
  20. root — of a word
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pitch — completely
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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