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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wax — to grow
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chair — a leader
  7. last — to go on
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. last — final
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fall — the season
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. last — finally
  24. fall — to drop

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