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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. capital — money
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. roll — a list
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stem — to come from
  8. roll — a cake
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. firm — decided
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. firm — a company
  17. squash — the sport
  18. firm — steady
  19. capital — a city
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chair — a leader
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. stem — of a plant

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