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: cabinet · pitch · fan · stem · staff · net · wind · vault

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. net — for catching
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. net — in sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. staff — a stick
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stem — to come from
  19. net — after costs
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. staff — employees
  24. wind — to turn a key

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