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: calf · game · sharp · stem · rock · squash · field · pitch

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rock — music
  3. field — a subject
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pitch — completely
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. field — farmland
  15. sharp — clever
  16. squash — to crush
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. game — a match
  20. field — for sport
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. squash — the sport
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rock — a stone

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