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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — a break
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stem — to come from
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fan — a supporter

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