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: squash · stem · mark · rule · foot · spring · pitch · straw

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. squash — the sport
  3. spring — of water
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rule — a law
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. squash — to crush
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. spring — the season
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. spring — a coil
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mark — a trace
  20. foot — a measure
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rule — government

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