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: pit · pitcher · snap · plane · stem · spell · clip · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. spell — magic
  3. stem — to come from
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. current — of water
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. clip — to cut
  10. current — electric
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. clip — for paper
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. clip — a video
  20. spell — letters
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. snap — to click
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stem — a stem cell

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