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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pass — a permit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rush — hurry
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stem — to come from

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