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: pitch · field · net · shower · deal · can · cap · stem

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. field — for sport
  6. net — in sport
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pitch — completely
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. field — farmland
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cap — of ice
  15. shower — rain
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cap — a lid
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. field — a subject
  21. stem — to come from
  22. net — after costs
  23. deal — to handle
  24. net — for catching

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