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

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. court — for sport
  6. present — the time now
  7. court — of a king
  8. stem — to come from
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cue — for pool
  11. chest — a box
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cue — a signal
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. court — of law
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. present — there

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