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 116 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: present · firm · pitch · stem · press · last · ground · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pitch — completely
  4. firm — decided
  5. present — a gift
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. last — finally
  10. present — there
  11. ground — crushed
  12. firm — a company
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ground — the earth
  15. present — the time now
  16. press — to push
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ground — a position
  23. press — newspapers
  24. firm — steady

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