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 · toast · band · coach · scale · wave · race

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. band — a music group
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. toast — bread
  12. fall — the season
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. band — a ring
  23. race — the arms race
  24. band — a rubber band

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