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 120 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: tear · cue · wake · pit · march · stem · pitch · stick

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. march — the month
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pit — a hole
  8. tear — to rip
  9. march — the month
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. march — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stem — a stem cell

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