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 116 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wake — a trail
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. ruler — a monarch

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