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: chair · pitch · last · racket · wax · suit · pass · mug

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mug — a face
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. last — to go on
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mug — to rob
  15. last — final
  16. pass — a permit
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mug — a cup
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. racket — for tennis

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