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: stem · hand · roll · key · content · pitch · wake · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stem — to come from
  8. key — for a lock
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hand — in cards
  13. key — the most important part
  14. content — the amount
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. content — happy
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. key — in music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cap — a hat

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