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 · safe · degree · wake · bay · bat · wind

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitch — completely
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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