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: pitcher · cell · mug · stem · club · squash · date · track

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mug — a face
  3. date — the fruit
  4. club — for golf
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cell — a phone
  9. track — to keep track
  10. squash — to crush
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. track — a song
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — a path
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. club — a group
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mug — a cup
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. club — for dancing

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