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: pitch · chair · stem · chip · wave · jam · craft · chest

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chest — a box
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. chest — of your body

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