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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stem — to come from
  3. march — the month
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. board — to get on
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. field — farmland
  10. march — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. field — a subject
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — for sport
  15. pitch — completely
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. march — the month
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mouse — the animal

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