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 · stem · key · craft · band · content · staff · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. staff — employees
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stem — to come from
  5. key — in music
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. craft — boats
  8. pitch — completely
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. band — a ring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. band — a music group
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. key — the most important part
  21. staff — employees
  22. content — happy
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. content — the amount

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