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: hand · bear · suit · key · stem · shower · court · pitch

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. key — for a lock
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pitch — completely
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. key — in music
  13. shower — to wash
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. court — for sport
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. court — of law
  18. bear — the animal
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. shower — rain
  22. court — of a king
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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