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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chest — a box
  15. rash — hasty
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stock — goods
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. rash — a series
  21. stock — shares
  22. lean — thin
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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