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 · leaves · stem · clip · key · firm · court · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. clip — a video
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. court — of law
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. clip — for paper
  14. key — in music
  15. pitch — completely
  16. court — for sport
  17. craft — a skill
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. court — of a king
  21. firm — decided
  22. clip — to cut
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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