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: pitcher · hide · pop · pit · row · root · present · stem

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pop — music
  7. present — a gift
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pit — a hole
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pit — in a race
  16. row — a line
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. present — the time now
  22. pop — soda
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pop — to visit

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