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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. season — in sport
  5. face — to confront
  6. field — farmland
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. field — a subject
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. field — for sport
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. season — of the year
  14. sharp — clever
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stock — goods
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stock — shares
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stem — to come from
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stand — to bear

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