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: firm · racket · season · club · mate · pitch · stem · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. club — a group
  3. mate — a partner
  4. club — for golf
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mate — a friend
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitch — completely
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. firm — decided
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. season — of the year
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mate — to breed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. firm — steady
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. firm — a company
  24. season — in sport

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