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: cabinet · pitch · fan · stem · staff · net

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. staff — a stick
  5. net — after costs
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. net — for catching
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. staff — employees

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