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 · pitch · hand · charge · capital · squash · drill · jam

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. hand — in cards
  3. capital — money
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pitch — completely
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. hand — help
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. drill — the tool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. charge — a price
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. squash — to crush
  21. charge — in control
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. capital — a city
  24. charge — electricity

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