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: wind · mine · rash · toast · mate · pit · roll · pitcher

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rash — a series
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. roll — a list
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pit — a hole
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pit — in a race
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. toast — bread
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mate — a friend

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