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: lean · pitch · land · bass · stem · rule · deal · wake

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bass — low music
  5. lean — thin
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lean — to bend
  9. land — to come down
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. land — a country
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stem — to come from
  20. land — ground
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lean — to rest against

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