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 120 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: deal · squash · stem · pitch · last · kick · rock · key

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rock — music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. kick — in football
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — the most important part
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rock — a stone
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. key — in music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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