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: sharp · lash · stand · straw · kid · pitch · stem · present

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. present — a gift
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. present — the time now
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. present — there
  21. kid — child
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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