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: snap · toast · straw · pitch · ground · stem · key · mine

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ground — the earth
  6. key — in music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stem — to come from
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. ground — crushed
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ground — a position
  17. toast — bread
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mine — for digging
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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