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 · bowl · wave · trunk · track · stem · sharp · racket

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. track — a song
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bowl — a football final

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