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: season · spell · stem · mouse · pitch · wound · bear · deal

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. season — of the year
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stem — to come from
  18. spell — magic
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. season — in sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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