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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. key — the most important part
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. track — a song
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — a path
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bass — low music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. trunk — of a car

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