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: season · bore · pitch · pitcher · lean · wave · cabinet · club

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. club — for dancing
  8. season — in sport
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. club — a group
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lean — thin
  21. club — for golf
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bore — to tire

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