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 120 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: pitch · bear · wake · pitcher · content · stem · rest · fan

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. content — happy
  7. rest — a break
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — the amount
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. content — videos and posts

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