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 · fine · rash · pitch · bulb · ground · rush · face

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wind — moving air
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ground — a position
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. ground — the earth
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitch — completely
  15. face — to confront
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fine — all right
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rash — a series
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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