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: clip · game · scale · swing · stem · leaves · foot · pitch

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. scale — in music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. foot — a measure
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stem — to come from
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. game — wild animals
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. scale — size or range
  15. swing — music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. clip — a video
  20. swing — to play on
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pitch — completely
  24. game — a match

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