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: rest · pitch · fine · club · court · bore · press · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bore — to drill
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. club — a group
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. press — to push
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rest — a break
  12. court — of law
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pitch — completely
  17. court — of a king
  18. bore — to tire
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. court — for sport
  23. club — for golf
  24. fine — all right

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