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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pit — a hole
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bound — obliged
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bound — certain
  12. mark — a grade
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pitch — completely
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. bound — tied together
  24. scale — size or range

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