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: pitch · prune · wake · mouse · object · file · kid · stem

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stem — to come from
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. object — to protest
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. file — a tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitch — completely
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. file — a document
  20. object — a thing
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. kid — child
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. prune — the fruit

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