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: net · stem · pit · firm · clip · object · branch · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. net — in sport
  3. firm — a company
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. net — after costs
  6. object — an aim
  7. pit — in a race
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pit — a hole
  12. branch — a division
  13. object — a thing
  14. firm — decided
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — to come from
  17. firm — steady
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. object — to protest
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. clip — a video
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. net — for catching
  24. stem — a stem cell

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