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: rush · wax · net · hand · pitch · coach · cue · safe

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — help
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cue — a hint
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. rush — hurry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. net — in sport
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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