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: leaves · bass · prune · rash · can · pitch · stem · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bass — low music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — a tin
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mate — a friend
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitch — completely
  21. can — a tin
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rash — a series
  24. prune — the fruit

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