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: cabinet · field · rash · coach · pitch · clip · pitcher · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. clip — a video
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. field — farmland
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rash — a series
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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