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: pitcher · track · present · stem · patient · clip · wake · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. track — a path
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. clip — to cut
  13. ground — a position
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. clip — a video
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. present — there
  24. track — a song

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