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: rash · spring · cell · staff · pitch · temple · plane · bear

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. staff — a stick
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. staff — employees
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rash — a series
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bear — the animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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