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: straw · arm · prune · pitch · key · chair · stem · court

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. key — in music
  3. court — for sport
  4. stem — to come from
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. key — the most important part
  10. court — of law
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. arm — a part of something

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