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: stem · wax · stick · pitch · cabinet · bore · cell · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bore — to drill
  22. march — music
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cell — in biology

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