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: stem · wave · chest · spell · pound · pitch · bay · game

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pound — a weight
  3. game — wild animals
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chest — a box
  6. spell — letters
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitch — completely
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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