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: net · pitch · rest · pitcher · march · season · press · bass

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — low music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — the month
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rest — what's left
  11. net — for catching
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. press — a publisher
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. press — newspapers
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. march — music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rest — a break

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