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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · present · current · pitch · stem · wind

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wind — moving air
  5. race — a contest
  6. current — happening now
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pitch — completely
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. current — of water
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. race — the arms race
  17. current — electric
  18. present — the time now

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