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 · root · straw · race · jam · stem · cue · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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